Savanna Comics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Soli Philander | Image: Daniel Friedman
Earlier today the Savanna Comics Choice Awards announced the comedians who were nominated by their peers and will have to duke it out for the honour of being recognised as having made an impact on the African comedy scene in the last year.
Fan favourites Celeste Ntuli, Mpho Popps, Barry Hilton, and Robby Collins made the cut, among others, and Soli Philander will be receiving this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Take a look at the full list of nominees below:
Native Tongue:
Chomi Ya Jeso
Mashabela
Celeste Ntuli
Siya Seya
Simphiwe Shembe
Best Friend Of Comedy:
Goliath & Goliath
David Kau
Parkers Comedy Club
Simphiwe Shembe
#ERcomedyWhatWhat
Comics Pen:
Reabetswe Moeti
Laz gGola
Kagiso Lediga
Milo
Almost New with Chester Missing
Mpho Osei-Tutu
Savanna Newcomer Of The Year:
Reagen Allen
Cyril Basker
Waylene Beukes
Emilio Tobias
Chomi Ya Jeso
Flying Solo (Best Solo Show):
Celeste Ntuli
Loyiso Gola
Chester Missing
Skhumba
Mpho Popps
Next Level:
Tsitsi Chiumya
Bongani Dube
Lindy Johnson
Abuti Lolo
Nonto R
Headliner Of The Year:
Robby Collins
Skhumba
Mpho Popps
Siya Seya
Carl Weber
Comedy G:
Chris Forrest
Loyiso Gola
Barry Hilton
Chester Missing
Celeste Ntuli
Savanna Pan African Comic Of The Year:
Anne Kansiime (Uganda)
Basket Mouth (Nigeria)
Chingliz (Zambia)
Long John (Zimbabwe)
Alfred Kainga (Zimbabwe)
Savanna Comic Of The Year:
Robby Collins
Loyiso Gola
Skhumba
Mpho Popps
Celeste Ntuli
Audience Choice:
Black Jesus
Jaxx Justice
Thato Malebati
Pelepele
Kwanda Radebe
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Soli Philander
The 2019 Savanna Comics Choice Awards will take place later this year at The Lyric Theatre in Gold Reef City, Johannesburg under the theme ‘Funny Money’.
The Savanna CCA website explains: “The topic of funny money remains a mystery to many. What is it? How big is it? Where is it? And how do you get it? The comedy industry has burgeoned in the last decade, where there were 30 or 40 comics working full time – now there are hundreds of comedians regularly gigging in SA.
“The industry that may have been worth R60-80 million a few short years ago now generates hundreds of millions of rand annually in performance fees, product endorsements, and television and radio deals.”
(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)
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